Alfred e



(No Model.)

A. .R.- ROBERTS. SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES.

No. 318,394. Patented May 19,]1885..

llNTTnn STATES PATENT @FFICEO ALFRED R. ROBERTS, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHARTON RAILROAD SWITCH COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

EJPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.318,394, dated IJay 19,1885.

Application filed April 13, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. ALFRED R. RoBERTs, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Safety Devices for Railroad-Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is based on that for which I filed an application forpatent November 10, 1884., Serial No. 147,509.

The object of mypresent invention is to apply to upright or coffee-millswitch-stands a safety device of substantially the same character asthat set forth in my said former application for notifying the operatorwhenever there is any obstruction which prevents the complete adjustmentof the switch.

In the accompanying drawlngs, Figure l is a plan view of the switch withthe stand in section and made according to my invention; Fig. 2, atransverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlargedperspective view of part of the operating-lever, and Figs. 4, 5, and6diagrams illustrating the operation of the safety-bar.

A A are part of the rails of the main track; BB, part ofthe rails ofthesiding or turn-out, and D D the switch-rails, which are connectedtogether in the usual manner by crossbars.

E is the switch-stand, which is of the coffeemill type, and is of theusual construction, consisting of a column or standard in suitablebearings, in which is the operating-shaft F, the latter having at theupper end an arm, 6, with handlef pivoted to it at h, said handleengaging with a notched plate, d, secured to the stand E,and beingslotted for the reception of staples g, which project from the standbeneath the plated, so that the handle can be secured by a lock ineither of its extreme positions.

The shaft F has at its lower end a crank, a, having a pin, b,to which isattached the switchrod G, said rod being connected to the rails DD bythe usual spring-coupling used in switches of this class.

Extending from and rigidly secured to the crank-pin?) is an arm, m, andat one side of the axis of the shaft F is guided a bar, H, attached tothe rails D D, in the present instance by a rod, which is adjustablysecured to one of the cross-bars of the switch.

On the bar H are two projections, 12 a, sit- (No model.)

uated in such relation to the arm m that when the parts are intheposition shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 the point-rails D are free toyield, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, to the wheels of alocomotive or car traversing the main track, no movement being impartedto the rod G, and the arm on being in such position as not to interferewith the movement of the bar H. If the switch-rails have to be moved tochange the switch, the handlefis lifted out of the notch in the plate (1and the arm 6 is turned in the direction of the arrow, i 1, to theposition opposite to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the crank a and arm mbeing likewise reversed and the rail D caused to bear against the railB. If there is no obstruction to the full movement of the rail D, thebar H will be so moved that the projec' tion a of the same will be outof the path of the arm m,- but if a small'stone or other obstruction isbetween the rail B and pointrail D, so as to prevent the full movementof the latter, the arm on will strike the projection n on the bar H,asshown in Fig.5,and prevent the full movement of the operatinghandle f,thus notifying the operator that the switch is obstructed. The arm m isnot locked by the projection 12, however, so that the switchman can atonce reverse the movement of the handle and open the switch to permitthe removal of the ob struction, the switch being then closed and thehandle dropped into the notch in the plate d, the arm in then bearingthe same relation to the projection 11 on the bar II that it be foreheld in respect to the projection a. (See Fig. 6.)

I claim as my invention The combination of the switch-stand and itsnotched plate (I, the operating-shaft having a crank, a, and pivoted armf, the switch, the yielding connection of said switch to the crank, anarm, m, on the operating-shaft, and a bar rigidly connected to theswitch and having projections arranged in respect to the arm asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED R. ROBERTS.

Vitnesses:

HARRY SMITH, HENRY HOWSON.

